DRC Ebola Outbreak Grows To 32 Suspected, Confirmed Cases; WHO, Congo Health Ministry Agree To Ship Ebola Vaccines For Use In Outbreak

Associated Press: WHO chief says Ebola vaccines to be shipped to Congo
“Ebola vaccines will be shipped ‘as quickly as possible’ to Congo as the number of suspected cases in the latest outbreak grows, the head of the World Health Organization said Friday. WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus in a Twitter post said the agreement was made in a phone call with Congo’s health minister on Thursday. WHO still needs Congo’s final authorization, which is expected in the coming days, Dr. Peter Salama, the agency’s emergencies chief, told reporters in Geneva…” (Keaten, 5/11).

CIDRAP News: DRC Ebola outbreak climbs to 32 cases, gets U.K. funding boost
“The World Health Organization (WHO) said [Thursday] that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Ebola virus outbreak has grown to 32 [suspected, probable, or confirmed] cases, three of them in health workers, as more responders arrive on the scene and as funding help comes from the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, in the United States, news [Wednesday] of the exit of one of the country’s top global health officials, coming on the heels of President Trump’s proposed rescission of earlier Ebola response funds, has deepened concerns about the nation’s preparedness for an epidemic such as Ebola…” (Schnirring, 5/10).

CNN: 11 additional cases of hemorrhagic fever in Congo including 1 death
“Eleven new cases of hemorrhagic fever, including one death, have been reported since Tuesday in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Minister of Health Dr. Oly Ilunga said Thursday in Kinshasa. Two of those cases are confirmed to be Ebola. Lab results are pending on the other nine cases which are suspected to be Ebola…” (Scutti, 5/11).

Reuters: Health charity Wellcome pledges funds, calls for rapid response to Ebola in Congo
“Britain’s Wellcome Trust global health charity called for a rapid response to an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and has pledged two million pounds ($2.7 mln) to support Kinshasa’s efforts to fight it…” (Kelland, 5/11).

Additional coverage of this story is available from ABC News, Associated Press, BloombergDeutsche Welle, and Reuters.

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